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From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishpainfullypain‧ful‧ly /ˈpeɪnfəli/ ●○○ adverb1very – used to emphasize a bad or harmfulquality that someone or something haspainfully thin armsAs a teenager, I was painfully shy.The road to peace is a painfully slow process.We are only too painfully aware of the damage his actions have caused.painfully obvious/clear/evident/apparentIt was painfully obvious he’d rather not see her again.2PAINHURT/CAUSE PAINwith pain or causing painRobyn swallowed painfully.3DIFFICULTneeding a lot of effortall the knowledge that he had so painfully acquired